Things to do in Fredericksburg

5 hours from Washington by car depending on traffic, further than Gettysburg, Antietam or Harpers Ferry, so it works best as its own day trip rather than a stop on the way somewhere else.

The town saw four major Civil War battles between 1862 and 1864, and its old downtown, still a living, working center with shops and restaurants, is compact enough to explore largely on foot once you have parked, unlike the sprawling rural battlefields at Antietam.

3 to 6 percent, added at the till, and the historic district is walkable across most seasons, including humid summer afternoons that regularly top 90°F.